NC jobless rate almost double national average

Janet Grist and Samantha Elley | 16th April 2009

STARK new figures show just how hard the recession is biting, with unemployment nearly doubling on the North Coast in the past four months.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the jobless rate for the statistical region from the Mid-North Coast to Richmond-Tweed was 5.8 per cent in November last year. At the end of February it had surged to 10.6pc.

Australia’s unemployment rate hit 5.7pc in March, up from 5.2pc in February. NSW’s rate was up to 6.9pc in seasonally-adjusted terms.

Southern Cross University student Kate Buchan, 19, of Lismore, said she had been searching for two months to find a job, living off savings and help from her parents.

“I’m looking for part-time work, but there’s not much around,” she said. “I’m willing to do waitressing, bar work, even track work (with horses). I’m currently dipping into my savings so things are getting pretty dire.”

NSW Business Chamber Northern Rivers regional manager and Ballina councillor Sharon Cadwallader said there had been a big drop in the number of development applications lodged with the council.

“And that reflects a downturn right across the construction industry,” she said.

Ms Cadwallader said a 50 per cent ‘payroll tax holiday’ for Australian employers was needed, on top of the Government’s stimulus package, to take the pressure off business operators.

Ballina Chamber of Commerce secretary Bryan Marriott hadn’t noticed any big changes in business around Ballina and was surprised at the steep rise in unemployment, although he said some retailers were under pressure.

“We’ve been lucky with jobs coming from the construction of the Ballina bypass and, of course, only last week the first sod was turned on the Alstonville bypass, which will bring more jobs again,” he said.

Lismore Chamber of Commerce vice-president Brenton Shalders said he was shocked by the figures, and also struggled to identify which industry around Lismore was particularly suffering.

Byron United president Ed Ahern said Byron Bay businesses had been trading well.

“We had a great Christmas and a monstrous Easter, but I guess it could be a long, cold winter,” he said.

“Because Byron is in the top three Australian destinations we’re somewhat protected, especially with domestic tourism on the rise and fewer Australians opting to holiday overseas at the moment.

“But we’d like to see the council tackle traffic management and infrastructure and acknowledge the value of tourists to our area.”

According to the bureau figures, 85 per cent of those without jobs in NSW did not want them.

The figures included people who were permanently unable to work and those who wanted to work but were not actively looking and not available to start within four weeks.

People who wanted to work tended to be younger, with 29pc aged 15-24 and a further 19pc aged 25 to 34.

Source: Northern Star